Former National Cabinet minister and 'statesman' John Luxton dies

Former National Cabinet minister John Luxton ​has died.

He was 75.

Luxton entered Parliament in 1987, winning the seat of Matamata. The electorate was reconfigured as Karapiro in 1996 and was held by Luxton until his retirement from Parliament in 2002.

Luxton served as a Cabinet minister under Jim Bolger and Jenny Shipley and held a variety of portfolios, including police, housing, Māori affairs, commerce and agriculture.

National Party leader Judith Collins said Luxton understood what mattered to New Zealanders.

“John was strongly committed to his constituents and displayed outstanding loyalty to his electorate and the National Party,” Collins said in a statement.

“Affable and courteous to a tee, John will also be fondly remembered for his keen sense of humour and kindness.”

After retiring from Parliament, Luxton held a range of high-profile leadership positions, including Crown-appointed co-chair of the Waikato River Authority from 2010 to 2020, and chairman of DairyNZ.

Current DairyNZ chairman Jim van der Poel​ said Luxton will be remembered for his unfaltering contribution to the rural sector.

“John has had a major role in the success of New Zealand’s dairy industry,” van der Poel said.

“John was instrumental in a number of significant policy and legislative changes in New Zealand, including the foundation policy work that led to the formation of Fonterra and the deregulation of producer boards.”

Bob Penter,​ chief executive of the Waikato River Authority, said Luxton’s death is a “huge loss” to everyone who knew him.

When Luxton joined the authority as the inaugural Crown-appointed co-chair, he was “very much at the statesman level”, Penter said.

“And that’s what was required to bring together essentially six groupings: the five river iwi and the Crown itself.

“We had quite a diverse group of people and John’s ability to navigate through governance issues ... and get to the heart of an issue, I’ve heard it describe as a governance masterclass.”

Luxton also played a leading role in the creation of the authority’s growth portfolio which will be used to fund river restoration projects once the Crown’s funding commitment ends in 2037. The growth portfolio is now worth more than $80 million.

“It means the work of the authority can continue in perpetuity at current funding levels which is a fantastic outcome for the river,” Penter said.

The Waikato River Authority presented Luxton with a tokotoko (carved walking stick) in May in recognition of his contribution to the authority. The tokotoko was carved by Wikuki Kiingi​ and is a symbol of a leader or chief.